


Do You Wanna Join My Crew?

by Michinokao



Category: One Piece
Genre: Crew Expansion, Gen, Re-upload, Sengoku is so done with this shit, Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-07 17:11:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17370053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michinokao/pseuds/Michinokao
Summary: It starts innocently enough with Ace accepting to be on Luffy’s crew after Sabo’s supposed death. Then it continues with Coby witnessing Morgan’s terror regime. At least Gin’s sort of experienced, right? In which Luffy picks up more nakama and nobody regrets joining the madness.





	Do You Wanna Join My Crew?

**Number One: Ace**

Luffy hides his crying face under the straw hat. He doesn’t want to look up at Ace because he knows he will be put down for his weakness. A strong captain only shows his best sides, after all. And that’s exactly what the little boy wants to be – a strong and unyielding captain with an equally brave crew. He wants to be the best, a king under all the evil pirate scum. Sabo’s death only makes him want to become better, train harder and gather knowledge for his future adventures.

“Ace” he says determined, “I will be the Pirate King. I don’t care what anyone else tells me. But I need to have someone help me with it. Ace...”

The boy looks his brother straight into the eyes. Ace can’t help but feel a little bit intimidated by the sheer force of will burning inside Luffy’s being.

“Will you train with me even after you are seventeen? DO YOU WANNA JOIN MY CREW?!”

Luffy cries out the last question. Desperation and pain quiver with the words. They send Ace to his knees and he has to swallow a couple of times before a single tear nevertheless runs down the side of his face. His brother... his only brother now. He needs to protect him and even though he swore he would set sail at age seventeen he just wants a place to belong to.

So, for once, he puts aside all the pride and hugs Luffy.

“Whatever you say... Captain.”

 

**Number Two: Zoro**

“Do you wanna join my crew?”

A muscle-less wannabe pirate stands in front of him. Zoro feels exhausted and wants to flee but he has to live through this month to save the cute little girl.  

The boy, Monkey D. Luffy, tilts his head and sends the green-haired swordsman’s world tumbling when he states neutrally: “Helm-something will execute you. He didn’t plan on letting you go.”

And Zoro is just rather a pirate swordsman than a dead one, so he agrees. Luffy’s first mate, his brother who seems three times stronger than the captain, brings him his three swords. He shows them his worth by slicing through his bindings in a speed which is to some extend unreal.

When Luffy defeats Axe Hand Morgan and brings peace to the Marine base, Zoro knows he has chosen the right path. This guy seems ridiculous but at the same time has his heart in the right place. The smile on Ace’s face shines bright as if to say “Yeah, everyone – that’s my bro!”

But the three of them are equally brutal strength-wise and they need a couple of other crewmates to hold peace.

As they sit in the restaurant (or is it a bar? Zoro can’t remember but it belongs to Rika’s mother) and Ace falls asleep while eating, Luffy eats for three men and he himself drinks for five, Coby has grown silent. He just sits there with an unmotivated expression while he lets Luffy pick meat from his plate.

Zoro doesn’t know when his new captain and his brother have met the pink-haired boy but he can see the face of a teen whose dream has been shattered.

“What’s up with you?” he asks Coby who looks at him with wide eyes as if he hadn’t expected Zoro to care. Well, to be honest, Zoro himself hadn’t expected to care about the younger one. But he does. They’re friends now after all they have been through.

“I” Coby begins stuttering, “W-When I was young I was captured by a gruesome pirate crew. I thought to myself t-that Marines were the good guys... so I wanted to be one as well. B-But, heh, I guess...” he scratches his head, coping mechanism, and hides his face by staring straight down at the table.

Zoro has never been good at cheering other up. He honestly doesn’t know what to do so he looks at his captain who stops eating and instead turns to Coby.

**Number Three: Coby**

“You don’t wanna be a Marine anymore?” Luffy asks quietly. He is serious for once.

Coby shakes his head silently.

A hat lands on it. A promise it is.

Luffy grins with wide D-shaped mouth.

“Hey, Coby, you wanna join my crew?”

Coby’s tears run freely. When he had been with Alvida, his pirate’s life wasn’t about freedom and adventures but about being a slave. He’d never had the chance of feeling what a man’s romance was and he failed miserably to lead a happy existence on the whale’s ship. But with this crew – Luffy as an easy-going captain, Ace as a fun-loving and slightly smarter first mate and Zoro as an anchor for everyone to hold onto and deadly swordsman... he might enjoy it more than being a slave yet again but this time for the Marines.

Coby doesn’t know how to answer. Yes, he wants to – so badly! But he cannot fight and all he knows is how to be a cabin boy.

“I-I want to, b-but I’m not strong like you...” he mumbles pathetically.

“You’re not, that’s right. You are a pussy and you don’t defend yourself. You barely manage to say a sentence without swallowing half of it and you are too afraid to do anything. You aren’t born to be a pirate...”

Coby’s face falls again.

“...but you know what? I don’t care. Shishishi! You aren’t dumb and you have sailing experience! And you are our friend. You can become a better fighter along the way. For now – just be yourself, alright?”

A couple of minutes go by without anyone doing anything. Zoro seems content though and Ace is still snoring into his food. Luffy’s grin never diminishes. Coby decides then that his captain’s right. So he picks the straw hat from his head, puts it on Luffy’s top and just says with a broad smile:

“Aye, aye, Captain!”

“Shishishi!” the captain laughs loudly and is joined by some dark chuckles from the swordsman.

It is then that Ace wakes up, half of his face covered in mashed potatoes. “Huh?” he asks when he sees that everyone is happier than before.

“Coby’s now one of us!” Luffy tells him. Ace just accepts it. After all, ten years with his little brother have taught him that whatever he’s set his mind onto nobody can change it. So he just raises his hand as a greeting, smirks and says to the pink-haired boy: “Yo, welcome on board.”

And Coby feels at peace.

 

**Number Four: Usopp**

After some incidents with a clown and a thief, they head to their next destination. In mind they have a ship they’d need because it is dangerously full on the little boat. Ace sometimes falls asleep and wakes up covering half of Zoro’s lap as the space is truly crammed. Also, Luffy hates not being able to walk around and his up and down bouncing had once nearly thrown everyone overboard.

At least they sometimes sort-of have some more space. Their temporary navigator allows one of them to be on her ship and most often it is Coby who wants to learn a couple of things from her as he is interested in navigation. But even then, they are in dire need for a real ship.

Syrup Village is their next destination.

When they arrive, the shore is suspiciously still. There is an air of anticipation covering the atmosphere. Then, suddenly, a voice yells at them: “I am the great Captain Usopp! I have eighty million men under my command! Leave this island immediately!”

As if to support this statement six pirate flags are hissed and Coby, Nami and Ace sweat-drop because it is such a cheap lie nobody in their right mind would ever believe it.

“WHAT?! EIGHTY MILLION MEN?” As already said, nobody in their right mind would believe it. But Luffy isn’t in his right mind even though he can sometimes be kind of empathically smart. Nami just angrily chops him on the head to set him straight. Zoro sheaths one of his swords and Ace’s fist begins to catch fire. Both of them look like demons respectively and the three little children who are the supposed crew of eighty million flee without leaving a trace.

The boy on the hill called Usopp catches the “I-am-too-scared-too-move-disease” and cries: “Ah, ah, it-it’s just a joke, yeah? P-Please don’t kill me!”

Ace and Zoro are thoroughly disappointed as they wanted a fight. Nami hits them both on the head for looking sad at that and Luffy laughs until he remember something.

“What was your name? Usopp, isn’t it? Aren’t you the son of Yasopp?”

“You know him?” Coby asks the same time as Usopp asks: “You know my father?”

Luffy nods: “Yeah, Yasopp is in Shanks’ crew. They were at Ace’s and my village a couple of years ago.”

And with that, Usopp lets himself be carried away by those weird pirates as he listens to stories of his father’s adventures. Deep inside, he never believed that his dad really was a brave fighter of the seas but with all this evidence, he is glad he’s never uttered a word about his doubts.

But the peace doesn’t last long.

Klahadore, the butler of the lovely lady Kaya whose aid the Straw Hats want to finally obtain a decent ship, is a pirate captain. The fight between the Straw Hats and the Black Cats is really one-sided. Luffy, Ace and Zoro are just throwing them around like the three monsters they are. Coby somehow manages to throttle down one or two by using a stick he had found lying around. Usopp gets hurt but is okay in the end. The best of it is that they manage to get a ship – a beautiful one.

“So, you head out now, right? Hehe, maybe we find each other on the sea!” Usopp says and tries not to sound like he wants to cry because his newly won friends are going away so soon.

Luffy snorts. “Most of the time I actually ask people before they become part of the crew. But you are already, so stop being dumb and come on the ship!”

Zoro smirks, Coby is happy because for once there is somebody whose strength is physically similar to his, Ace has fallen asleep again and even Nami, the witch she sometimes can be, is smiling at the long-nosed boy.

Usopp falls in love with this crew before he can even utter another ridiculous exaggeration.

 

**Number Five: Sanji**

The first important thing Sanji thinks when he encounters the crew is: “I wouldn’t mind sailing with this beauty...” as he lays his eyes on Nami-swan. Elegant, beautiful and every part of her is all so sophisticated... He can’t help but give her a rose and a discount on the meal she orders.

Oh yes, he knows he is being totally wrung out but he’s okay with it. As long as he can conjure a smile on her face he is doing everything right.

The second important thing Sanji thinks when he encounters the crew is: “Did that asshole just fall face first into the soup? Wait a second... is he asleep?!” It is funny that Ace will be one of his best friends throughout their adventures but the first impression Sanji gets from his future nakama leaves him disgusted.

And the third important thing he thinks when meeting the crew, to be precise, meeting Luffy is: “Did that boy just really punch Krieg even though the guy had a robe of sharp thorns?” Zeff confirms him by telling Sanji: “That boy’s a real monster. Not even hesitating once.”

Sanji fights alongside with them to protect the Baratie and to protect the old geezer. He learns that Ace has narcolepsy as soon as he falls asleep while fighting some madman called Pearl. Sanji doesn’t wait a second before stopping a fatal attack directed at Ace’s head. Well, the cook thought it would have been fatal, alas, as he understands when Luffy tells him not to worry about his brother because Ace has eaten the fire-fire fruit and can even in the state of sleep transform into flames.

Zoro fights against the best swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, and Sanji hates himself for feeling pity directed at the moss-brain when he fails to even scrape the other.

Coby helps defend the Baratie as well and gets beaten up. Though, everyone’s proud of his bravery.

When the battle is over, two of the temporary passengers of the Going Merry, bounty hunters Johnny and Yosaku, cry that Nami stole the ship.

Also, as soon as the battle finishes, Luffy again confronts Sanji. That boy really wants him in his crew. But Sanji has a dream which is more a fantastic imagination than that. He doesn’t want the Straw Hat to know it.

Zeff, of course, has other plans.

They argue.

They throw insults at each other.

They cry when Sanji’s dream hasn’t been made fun of and the captain’s question: “Do you wanna join my crew?” is finally answered correctly (in Luffy’s opinion and to Zoro’s dismay).

 

**Number Six: Gin**

Gin’s image of the Grandline was shattered when the Krieg Pirates were destroyed in less than five seconds. He had been a good fighter in the East, also known in the South and his captain had been one of the toughest there were.

At least, that’s what he had thought. Gin is ashamed when Krieg threatens the Baratie’s owner and staff. Sanji has given him more than he could afford and now... now he feels devastated. He knows his captain likes foul play in his battles but Gin was naive enough to believe he had a sense of novelty.

He has to fight against the Straw Hats. He doesn’t want to. They are a nice bunch, just as nice as Sanji.

In the end, it’s alright. Everything’s alright but he’s embarrassed that it feels good when is captain and the strongest ones of Krieg Pirates lose against those six young and inexperienced pirates.

“What should I do now?” he asks himself as he looks at a bunch of his crewmates floating in the sea. It fills him with sadness but at the same time he doesn’t really know these men. They had sailed under the same flag, they had drunk the same booze and they had slept in the same room. But most of them were just collected and gathered by the fear Krieg had embodied. There isn’t anyone who he considers a friend. Most of them probably want to live a normal life, they had often whispered about it when they were being held hostage by the Marines.

Gin himself can’t be anything else than a pirate. Even though the sea is rough, he longs for sailing in the Grandline’s territories yet again. But his crew has fallen apart.

“Oi, you!” the boy with the straw hat calls after the fight.

Gin looks at him questioningly. Then the boy proceeds to surprise him: “Your name is Gin, isn’t it? I know it’s weird and all to ask you that after beating your boss up but... Do you wanna join my crew?”

The boy cocks his head when Gin begins laughing. “I don’t know. What guarantees me that we don’t fail when we reach the Grandline?”

Luffy just grins. “How can we fail when I’m going to be Pirate King? Don’t be stupid!”

It isn’t worded as a promise but Gin reads emotions well enough. _I promise I will give my best to keep you all save. That’s my job as a captain, after all._ He has to fight his tears as he says yes, he wants to be a part of the Straw Hats.

 

**Number Seven: Nami**

She was convinced every pirate was scum.

And then one day she meets not one but four pirates who prove her wrong. They fight for a village they didn’t know existed and they fight for a dog. Buggy the Clown is beaten, bound up and thrown away. She hates the fact she has to betray them.

The crew grows even more and they get a ship, a home. Luffy, Ace, Zoro, Coby, Usopp (and Sanji and Gin but she doesn’t know that just yet) are her friends and she wants to keep them away from the fright that is Arlong Park. Obviously, with two stubborn brothers and the other loyal fools that make this crew, she doesn’t succeed.

A hat is placed on her head. Another promise of the captain.

The Straw Hats fight against fishmen who are ten times stronger than an average human but they manage nonetheless to destroy Nami’s nightmares.

“Do you wanna join my crew now?” Luffy asks with his wide-mouthed grin.

She thinks of home when she sees these men and boys who are her crew. Coby hugs her. He has missed her the most because she never looks down on him. Ace completely messes up her hair by ruffling her head as an older brother would. She can still feel Luffy’s hat on her orange locks but it’s silly because it has long been returned to its owner. Usopp tells her bullshit which makes her laugh. Sanji flirts with her but is mostly just a gentleman and Gin introduces himself. Zoro... she still can’t quite grasp his reaction. He just seemed to sort of want to do the same as Ace but he was really awkward about it and it ended up being: “Good you’re back, witch.”

Nami wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

**Number Eight: Chopper**

They had officially survived their first week in the Grandline. Gin had been nervous ever since they’d travelled down Reverse Mountain but his new captain had been right. They lived through every obstacle and even met a huge whale named Laboon and a princess.

Coby, Usopp and he himself have been training with each other. Ever since they had witnessed what their captain, first and second mate (a title Luffy claims that Zoro has because Zoro is really strong and cool!) are capable of, they wanted to be just as useful. So, training it is. Every morning push-ups with Zoro, then a one-on-one sparring match with most of the time Gin as victor. Also they found Coby some weapons. The boy was scared at first but now he wields his two knives rather well.

Nami has yet to have a real fight but she is better than the three of them and she doesn’t want her figure to lose its beauty because of muscle gain. So she doesn’t participate.

It’s funny how they all have become a family in such a short time. There are small things which make them feel at ease on this ship they claim as their home. Luffy has his favourite sitting place on the sheep figure’s head, Ace is happy as long as he is accepted (he sometimes wants to tell them who exactly he is but he’s not quite ready yet to do so), Nami has her tangerine trees, Gin has his place near the mast where he can watch the clouds and the sea, Zoro has his training equipment and napping spaces, Sanji has his kitchen, Coby has finally a real hammock rather than the floor he had on Alvida’s ship and Usopp... well, Usopp has a whole ship as a memory of his friend Kaya.

They had their roles and up until now, they hadn’t needed another nakama. But then, after the Little Garden incident, Nami falls sick.

And they absolutely have no idea what to do.

It’s ironic how they didn’t even notice they don’t have a doctor up until the worst case scenario happens. They are on their way to Alabasta to kick some Warlord’s ass but they can’t let Nami die. She is nakama, so she has to be well!

They come to Drum Island because Vivi, the princess of Alabasta, insists on a search for a doctor before heading to her homeland. Gin is oddly touched because he’d never before witnessed such bonds of friendship.

Ace is growing more and more frantic as the days go by. He feels pained when he looks at Nami’s state. In times like these he is glad he isn’t the captain because his brother has an endless amount of determination and doesn’t let himself be carried away by panic.

On the other hand, there is Coby who can’t even continue his training because the girl he considers a sister is ill. Meals have an atmosphere of sadness because Nami cannot enjoy Sanji’s food in the kitchen.

When Luffy, Ace, Zoro and Sanji carry the sick crewmember to Doctorine Kureha, the only medic on the whole island who also lives on a goddamn high rock, they find themselves with a reindeer-human.

“Is it a human-reindeer or a reindeer-human?” Ace asks seriously when he sees Tony Tony Chopper.

“Either way... it looks delicious!”

“I can see what I can make of it, shitty captain” Sanji says while he considers how to cook the poor little reindeer.

Chopper sees these pirates as another bunch of humans who regard him as a monster. He doesn’t know that they might be bigger monsters than him.

But when they are all captivated by his personality and skills and throw out the ex-king Wapol, he wants to be their friend.

Luffy asks when Wapol is defeated: “Chopper, do you wanna join my crew?”

And he says he can’t, he really can’t... because won’t they be grossed out by him? He is a monster, a blue nosed reindeer... neither human nor a real reindeer. There is no place for him. He is alone on this world and nobody wants him. He cries and he shouts. Don’t they understand?! Chopper isn’t good enough for them!

Something unexpected happens. Chopper, still silently crying, is scooped into the arms of that one human who is utterly insane for not wearing a t-shirt on a winter island. Instead of feeling frostbitten skin though, he is surrounded by warm muscled arms hugging him to a defined chest.

“Wha-?” the little reindeer mumbles.

Ace’s voice is filled with pain and old wounds: “They said that to me too... that I shouldn’t live because of who I am. In some eyes, I am a monster. Hell, even in my own.”

“But you are a human?” Chopper can’t believe what he’s hearing from this man. There’s nothing wrong with him as far as the little doctor has seen. He is just a normal human.

“Yes, but I am the son of a famous pirate. When he died, people didn’t wanna have someone continue his bloodline. When I was young I asked some of the townspeople what they thought about that pirate having a son. Let’s just say the answers weren’t great. They ranged from “I would beat this shit up” to “I would rape his mother and let him watch and then torture him”. They practically told me they hated my guts for even existing.”

Chopper gasps and he looks in shock at the man. Humans can be that cruel to other humans? The man is crying as well but his cowboy hat and his hair cover most parts of his face. The young reindeer is the only one who sees or rather feels the tears because they land on his nose. A couple of seconds, they both remain in this embrace. Then the human regains his former cocky confidence and flicks Choppers nose lightly.

“But hey, I’ve found my family. I have a place where I belong. It doesn’t matter in the end if I’m a monster or not. My friends don’t care about stupid shit like that. So come on... join us, alright?”

Chopper cries again but nods frantically as he is carried to the ship by this nice wonderful man who may or may not be a monster like him.

It doesn’t matter. Ace is right.

As long as Chopper has friends who accept him, it’s okay.

**Number Nine: Robin**

She tries to remember Saul’s unique laugh. Even in the darkest of times this memory has brought her a smile on the lips. When it all crumbles down onto her body, the crypt and everything collapsing, she imagines these friends he had wanted her to have. Ah, what a pity. She hadn’t managed to find them in time. Now she would die and her dreams and the last remains of Ohara with her.

Alas, she doesn’t die. A boy carries her and he is dirty. Why does the enemy care about her wellbeing? Robin doesn’t have much time to think about it when she is saved.

“You should have let me die.”

Monkey D. Luffy is interesting. His crew is as colourful as his personality and when she appears on the ship and Luffy eyes her as if he had known she would come here, she is for the first time in years truly intrigued. Some of her new crewmates are wary of her. Robin can understand how they must feel.

Others surprise her. Coby, for example. He actually talks to her and is a smart boy who could have enjoyed the offerings of Ohara’s knowledge hadn’t there been this dreaded buster call. He listens to her stories of ancient weapons and historic battles. In exchange, she hears tales of his daily life. Those are depressing but she can relate to him. When she had run away, her life hadn’t been easy either.

Sanji treats her well because he treats every woman well. Robin doesn’t know if she likes the attention or not but it isn’t hostile so she accepts it easily.

The only one who puzzles her so much she can’t comprehend it is Gin. He speaks to her as if Alabasta hadn’t happened and treats her like she has been on this ship from the start. When confronted, he states: “It’s weird. You just fill our gaps pretty well.”

With her on this ship, they are ten people. It is getting a little bit uncomfortable at times and they have to eat outside of the kitchen because it’s only made for six or less. Also, the men’s quarter is awfully tight with eight out of ten people being male.

They argue back and forth and Usopp cries but he knows it’s getting too tight very soon.

“We all love Merry but we need a bigger ship. I didn’t think I would have more nakama than ten but we already are ten and we don’t have a shipwright and a musician yet.” Luffy scratches his chin awkwardly.

Ace laughs: “Well, when I saw how easy you recruit people it was sort of clear we would be a crew of at least twelve.”

Luffy’s answer to that is a miraculously long outstretched tongue.

Usopp hangs his head. “Can we at least build Merry into the new ship? I-I don’t want to lose her forever...”

They all decide for that.

Robin enjoys her stay on the Going Merry even though its smallness.

And she knows it’s about to go crashing down soon.

But first of all, they want to have an adventure in Sky Island.

How could she not be excited for that?

 

**Number Ten and Eleven: Conis and Suu**

She doesn’t have many friends. Her interest in the Blue Sea sometimes overwhelms people. When she was younger, she dreamt of being an adventurer exploring other sky islands and islands down there and ever underwater islands. Conis still wants to be an explorer and see the world as it is and not as it has been taught to her.

Not everyone from down there is a savage, are they? She doesn’t believe it. Neither does Suu. Even though Suu can’t really communicate that well with her Conis understands what she tries to tell her.

Her father is sometimes made fun of. She tries not to listen to the other teenagers sprouting lies about her family but it’s hard. Pagaya is such a nice man and a really good father. How can’t they see beyond his misfortunes and strange ways of expressing himself? Yes, he apologizes for practically everything but they simply don’t have the right to look at him weirdly when they themselves are living in the sky.

Conis knows humans aren’t supposed to live here. It’s all artificial except for Upper Yard but she is too afraid to explore it. From time to time she wants to. But then again, she desperately clings to her life.

She wants to hit herself when she betrays the first friends she’s ever made besides Suu. They are so nice and give her hope of being one of them. When she holds Suu close and cries into her fur while her friends are taken to their demise, she feels as if she isn’t on a sky island but has sunken far deeper than hell.

All hopes are lost when a giant ball of electricity engulfs the sky. It is black and round as it completely annihilates Angel Beach. What has she done? Her father is missing, presumably dead and her friends, brave as they are, more than half of them are wounded badly.

The end is near. Conis goes through all of her memories and tries to remind herself she lived a great life. She can’t fool herself, however. Just too many missed opportunities dance in front of her eyes.

When Luffy saves Upper Yard, he saves her dreams as well.

She confronts them and thoroughly apologizes but Sanji only shoves a plate of the most delicious food she would ever eat into her quivering hands while smiling at Suu and petting her head.

Luffy comes to her after they have been partying for days. Conis sits with Suu on her lap on a patch of grass. It feels nice to touch and the Upper Yard smells wonderful.

“Hey, Conis.” he greets smiling and sits down beside her. She nearly forgets he’s not used to the ways of greeting up here.

“Hey, Luffy.” she says back. “Suu” the little cloud fox says.

They spend some moments looking into the night sky before Luffy turns to her: “What is your dream?” he asks.

Conis doesn’t have to think about it for long: “I’ve always wanted to explore the world. Everything I know about the Blue Sea is that there are islands full of vearth. It may sound childish but I’m not content with that. I want to see it all myself. Maybe I will even make drawings of the things I see and collect them as a journal. That’s my dream.”

“Shishishi!” Luffy laughs but Conis knows it’s because something else than ridicule. “I like that! Hey, Conis? You wanna join my crew? Suu of course as well!”

She looks at him with tears in her eyes. After all he has been put through because of her sheer dumbness he still wants her in his crew?

“Hey, don’t cry, I’m not making fun of you!”

“I-I just don’t understand... how can you still like me? I’ve betrayed you!”

Luffy tilts his head as if he hadn’t considered that before but then shrugs. “Meh. You just had fear, that’s normal. But, well, if you wanna come with us you have to be kinda used to that. We meet all sorts of criminals and Marines are always chasing us. If you think you can put up with that, you’re good to go!”

Conis doesn’t mind being brave. She has lost against fear the first time but now she would fight and become as strong as the others. When she eyes Suu she sees her little head bounce up and down.

“Yes, I would love to come with you!” she says finally and Luffy smiles broadly while giggling to himself and pulling down the rim of his straw hat in excitement.

Two nakama from Sky Island, how cool is that?

 

**Number Twelve: Franky**

The ship’s practically bursting. They are eleven people and a cloud fox and Usopp sweat-drops when he tries to manoeuvre through his nakama just to get to the bathroom. Also, their training is sort of on hold. They can’t really spar anymore because, well, if they did it would end in bystanders getting hurt. Great Captain Usopp is filling out though! (Coby and Gin as well but psh, they’re not great warriors of the seas!) The three are gaining muscle through hard work outs. Push-ups don’t hurt bystanders... okay, they’re not hurting bystanders as much as sparring would.

Their newest addition to their crew, Conis, has proven to be very good at tending plants. Now that would be a great thing because the tangerine trees and planted sky pumpkins are growing so fast they don’t have any time to eat all of them... Yes, it would have been indeed great if the Merry weren’t so goddamn (Eneldamn?) small.

It’s suffocating and they anticipate the sightings of new islands to dock on to finally get some fresh air and _just space._ Usopp loves Merry, dearly, and it hurts to let her go... but he can see that their ship is dying and he’s waiting for the moment when it decides to just break in half or something like that.

In another lifetime, sure, he would have wailed and even fought Luffy for suggesting getting a new ship. But he can’t really fight someone he can’t even reach because everything’s so small he would have to play “the floor is lava” with people being the floor and the little spaces between them safe land to throttle Luffy.

Water 7 has supposedly the best shipwrights there are. So he’s looking forward to that. Maybe he’d learn some things as well on the go.

Water 7 turns out to be shit. Yes, the city’s impressive and all but being beaten up by some lunatics called the Franky Family? Being thrown down like trash even though he had trained harder than ever? Not fine, totally not fine.

And then Robin disappears and shit really begins hitting the fan.

Gin, Sanji, Chopper and Ace were apparently just going for a walk with Robin, making a sightseeing tour for once because it’s such a genius city, and poof! There goes one nakama. How do you lose a woman such as Robin? Zoro getting lost... yeah, sure, he gets lost walking in a straight line! Ace getting lost? Yes, understandable considering the possibility he could just fall behind and fall asleep in the middle of the street due to his narcolepsy still ongoing and making Chopper lose his fur.

But Robin? Really?

The Great Captain Usopp wouldn’t have lost Robin! Of that he’s sure! (Or not because Gin is a responsible adult and even he lost her.)

While Usopp himself, Nami, Luffy and Coby headed out searching for a shipwright and were fascinated by those yagara creatures, Zoro and Suu stayed back for ship watch duty.

And then the Great Captain Usopp... decided... to be not so great and somehow lost the three others. Franky Family and all of that happened, Robin was found only to say something about her darkness. It was all confusing, really long-winding and, oh yeah, the Straw Hats are now anarchists even more than they were before.

That was really the Great Captain Usopp who shot the flag of the World Government, declaring war on it while he had a role playing crisis and cosplayed the brave Sogeking of Sniper Island because he felt shit for being so weak when he had been captured by the Franky Family. Everyone has their coping mechanisms, alright? That doesn’t make the Great Captain Usopp any less great.

Okay, where was he? Ah, true. Somehow they ended up gaining the head of the Franky Family as their shipwright... wait, what?

At least he had a little revenge for that beating when Robin made the man nearly impotent.

And their new ship was worth it. Initially, Franky had planned to make it only slightly bigger than the Merry but Coby and Nami had fallen to their knees and pleaded him to build it at least big enough for thirty people.

The Thousand Sunny isn’t as big as the ancient weapon Pluton but it’s big enough that it has four bathrooms (three for the men, one for the women, at least until there are more women) and nice sleeping spaces.

Usopp loves what Franky made with Merry. The soldier dock system is a blessing for them all.

By the way, Franky and Usopp are now friends and happy-going when they’re working together but the sniper isn’t all too fond of the other new nakama...

 

**Number Thirteen: Rob Lucci**

There is a demon in him and Iceburg had seen it. The mayor accepted him for what he was. It makes him want to grab onto that weird jackass’ striped suit and shout into his face that he’s a CP9 agent and everything’s fake and they all are just infiltrators. Of course, Lucci doesn’t do that. He is cold, no, _dead_ inside. Ever since the government took away his life, he just let it all happen.

He’s ridiculously strong and a great actor. Most days, he wants to never wake up again when he lies down in the bed of his little apartment in Water 7. When he talks about justice and dark justice (how weird does that sound?) he nearly believes it himself.

Naturally, nobody has ever seen the real Rob Lucci - The one who enjoys himself some green tea after work and sits on his couch to read a good romance novel. He’s twenty-eight and supposed to have lost all of his personality when he became a ruthless killer. It’s funny. It really is. Because he’s never felt more alive than in the time he was a mere worker at Galley-La.

He could fool himself daily that he had friends and a place outside of the clutches of the World Government. Lucci knows for a fact they all had considered telling the whole thing Iceburg just to see what the mayor would do. Lucci also holds the knowledge of how many times he had to remind himself he wasn’t a part of their shipwright crew. For as long as he lives he would never tell any soul that he counted to more than two thousand.

Kalifa cries at night. He sees her spotless acting shatter when the night lays its covers over their base. Sometimes he can’t sleep, actually, most of the times he can’t. Then he wanders around not making a single sound and hears with his zoan-enhanced hearing everything he doesn’t want to hear. For Kaku’s nightmares he doesn’t even have to be a zoan user to hear them.

The mission has ended three days ago.

Their normal lives are dead.

Lucci despises the World Government so much that when he stops and thinks about them he grows so aggressive he can’t even stop the automatic transformation. So he just doesn’t think. It’s easy when you are a killer since childhood. Just close your eyes and imagine you have never been born. A lie it is that you have feelings. A lie it is that every time you kill someone you have their last moments repeating themselves in your head.

Maybe dumb people are good murderers. Gruesome pirates, for example, strike him as really idiotic sometimes.

They say he kills his own. They never ask him why. Because if they found out the Five Elders give him their commands directly for every individual he has to kill, they wouldn’t know how to live with that information.

He slashes, he finger-pistols, he shaves. Apparently nobody can stop him.

That is until Monkey D. Luffy.

Lucci has never seen someone like him. He’s a pirate and the worst one Lucci’s ever met. Luffy doesn’t terrorize citizens and he doesn’t hide his tail from the government like the others do. He’s the fucking worst. He’s garbage. He just shits on everything the World Government owns, doesn’t give a fuck, and he and his crewmates destroy Cipher Pol Nine in less than a day.

For the first time in twenty-two years, he’s stopped.

And after all of the fighting, the brat just stands up like it isn’t a big deal (thanks to the teeth-breaking training between Ace and Luffy), walks over where he pathetically lies, looks Lucci dead in the eye and asks: “What’s up?”

He may have wanted to shove a fist down the brat’s throat. He’s glad he didn’t have the energy to do so.

“What do you mean? You’ve won, go home. They’re already waiting for you.” Lucci whispers hoarsely. His throat is killing him.

Luffy makes his patented head tilt and states: “You looked dead.”

“Yeah, I’m aware my current state isn’t the best.”

“Hm” the young pirate captain hums, “I don’t know what you’re talking about but I don’t mean it like that. Even before we began you looked dead... to be honest, ever since you left Water 7 you did.”

The brat has the decency to look concerned. Lucci’s shock doesn’t show on his visage. He knows this for a fact because he’s never drastically changed his mimics in all those years. Nevertheless, Luffy sees through his facade. It makes him squeamish.

“Do you have a dream?” Straw Hat asks.

Lucci doesn’t know it it’s some sort of psychological warfare. He’s never felt this exposed before either.

He has absolutely no idea why he tells the black haired boy but he does: “I want to live... not as a killer machine led by the government but as a human. Is that all you want to know about me? Or does my favourite tea interest you as well?”

“Shishishi, you are some weird mix between Zoro, Robin and Nami when she’s angry! I like that...” Luffy’s face becomes a bit more serious then: “Our crew is already enemies with the World Government. Not just because of Robin. I wouldn’t mind having another reason for them hating us.”

This time, there isn’t year long training stopping his jaw from figuratively hitting the floor.

“W-What are you implying?” Lucci doesn’t fucking care if he stutters or not. He wants to make sure he understood Straw Hat correctly.

“You and your weird words! Of course I want to ask if you wanna join my crew! You’re cool, especially your powers. You could be our Magician of Death or something wicked like that!”

“Magician of Death?”

“U-Huh!” Luffy eagerly nods.

“And you’re really asking me if I want to join your crew?”

“U-Huh!” Straw Hat nods once again.

Speechless isn’t a term which normally described Rob Lucci. In this situation, however, it is. Gob-smacked he considers his options. Could he really lead a relatively normal life as a pirate? Sure, the government would be even more on their toes but those were the Straw Hats he’s talking about. They had such monsters like Fire-First Ace or Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro in their crew. Hell, even Nico Robin is a part of them.

“I guess I could maybe consider being acquainted with you and your mates-“

“Oi, stop giving me a headache with all those words!”

“-as I was saying... Alright. I join your crew.”

 

**Number Fourteen: Brook**

The responses to Rob Lucci were mostly negative. Gin though, as he’s one of the responsible adults on the ship (even though Franky’s older than him), just stared at him and said in his most dad-like voice: “If you ever hurt them, I don’t care about any of your nice little tricks. I will kick you in the balls so hard you won’t even be able to piss without urinating blood.”

Coming from him, it had a bored undertone which made Robin chuckle. Franky seemed to blanch a little bit.

Lucci merely nodded as he sipped one of the best teas he’s ever drunken. He made sure to compliment the cook.

After a couple of days though, they started treating him more normally. After making sure he isn’t a hidden agent or something like that, Ace, strangely enough, was the first one to talk to him. Lucci hadn’t thought Fire-Fist would be more than an aggressive young newcomer pirate. Everybody in this crew seems to keep surprising him. They talked about the government and their punishments. It was nice.

The shy girl whose name is Conis also begins talking to him after she witnessed him petting Suu.

All in all, Lucci doesn’t regret his decision. It even makes him feel warmth in his chest when he finds that Sanji actually gives a shit what he likes and doesn’t. Luffy, Ace, Zoro and Sanji spar with him on the broad deck of the Sunny and he teaches them about haki and rokushiki. They find out Coby has an Observation Haki affinity after he confesses having heard voices which weren’t there before so they include him in this part of the training as well as Usopp whose job it kind of is to find out about enemy’s whereabouts.

Lucci tries not to kill anyone anymore after he learns about the rather pacifistic mindset of the group.

He manages a small smile or two once in a while.

Then they sail into their next adventure. Their idiot captain just opens a barrel which is so suspicious everyone has warned him not to. But he does it anyways. Turns out now they’re being watched closely. Great.

When they first meet Brook they had to keep their eyes from falling out (except for Brook, because he doesn’t have any, Yohohoho! Skull Joke!).

Luffy’s eyes are stars and it’s actually more terrifying than Nami’s gaze when she sees a lot of money. Then Brook reveals he’s a musician and Luffy’s instant question is: “Do you wanna join my crew?”

Immediately, the skeleton agrees but then uncovers later when they all sit around a large table that his shadow has been stolen.

Naturally, Luffy’s captains orders are to, quote: “Hit the one who did that and then party!”

They do.

In less than three hours, another Warlord lies at Luffy’s feet and it’s kind of embarrassing considering Lucci’s training hadn’t been going on for that long.

But now they have saved another pirate crew, have been gifted a vivre card to one of the Four Emperors (thanks to Lucci’s deduction skills they actually knew that, Coby freaked out so hard he nearly fell into the sea) and have gained another nakama.

Brook brings life into the Thousand Sunny (even though he’s dead, Yohohoho!) and Rob Lucci finds himself partying. It’s weird what a couple of moronic pirates do to you.

 

**Interlude: Marine Headquarters, office of Sengoku the Buddha**

Garp is sitting in a chair. Behind him is his patented entrance hole as he hadn’t been bothered to actually use the door thirty-seven centimetres to his left. His nose is clogged up so he digs into it and whatever comes out he smears under Sengoku’s office desk.

He’s been waiting for ten minutes. Obviously he can’t be left alone. The old goat should have known that.

When Sengoku comes in, he carries a package of Wanted posters. Fresh from the press they seem as the smell of ink hasn’t left the thick paper yet.

“What do you wanna tell me by throwing them in front of me?” Garp the Fist asks bored as he looks at the picture of a man called “Man-Demon Gin” whose bounty is sixty-five million.

“Garp. Do you actually read the newspaper? Look at those. They’re your grandson’s crewmembers.”

“Bwahahaha, they are? Interesting, let’s see.”

Under Gin is “Blackleg Sanji – 150 million”, then come “Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro – 270 million”, “Cotton Candy Lover Chopper – 300”, “Cat Burglar Nami – 90 million”, “Pink Double-Knife Coby – 40 million”, “Devil Child Nico Robin – 135 million”, “Angel Conis – 3 million”, “Dead Bones Brook – 33 million”, “Cloud Fox Suu – 50”, “Magician of Death Rob Lucci – 700 million”, “Fire-Fist Ace – 300 million”, “Sogeking – 110 million”, “Cyborg Franky – 66 million” and last but not least...

“What?! Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy... ONE BILLION BERI?! Wait. Fire. Fist. ACE?! AAAAAAACEEEE IS IN MY GRANDSON’S CREW?”

“Stop yelling, you’re giving me a headache. As you see your grandson is a little bit out of control. I mean at this point we can stop calling him one of the Eleven Supernovas and just straight out call him Fifth Emperor or something like that.”

Garp’s face is red and he seemingly can’t decide whether he should laugh or cry. Luffy had told him he was going to be Pirate King and they all had just called it a childish dream. Now when he looks at everything his grandson has done by now (beating two Warlords, gathering fourteen crewmembers, one of those is his other grandson and at the same time Roger’s son... declaring war to the World Government for trying to put Nico Robin into Impel Down...) the list just grows and grows and the last time something like that has happened had been when Roger had gathered the most insane crew under the sun.

He does neither laugh nor cry but resumes picking his nose. The clog is making itself known again.

Sengoku rubs his forehead aggravated before snidely asking: “Do you even know how much bounty your grandson’s crew has altogether?”

“Oi, I’m not a mathematician. By the way – wait. Isn’t that one a CP9 agent?” Garp points at Lucci’s poster.

“Hah... yes. After a fight in Enies Lobby he decided to become pirate apparently. Your grandson sent us his pirate alias.”

(Lucci gave Luffy a stink eye for four days straight after he saw it.)

“Bwahahahaha!”

“That’s not funny, Garp! This crew is worth almost three billion beri! Also, most of the Straw Hats could now be considered as Supernovas. It... It throws off everything. Completely. Not even going to help if we send four buster calls at the same time! Lucci alone could sink two of them without blinking. What are we going to do no... STOP DIGGING IN YOUR NOSE, FOR GOD’S SAKE!”

“Oi, oi, now _you’re_ the one giving _me_ a headache! Calm down – it’s not like they’re going to do something as drastic as breaking into Big Mom’s territory and recruit one of her child-monsters or some shit like that.”

The fleet admiral sighs exasperated but agrees. Maybe when the Pacifistas are ready for deployment they would stop the Straw Hats on the Sabaody Archipelago. Yes, that would do it, he thinks.

Well, he’s wrong.

 

**Number Fifteen and Sixteen: Eustass Kidd and Killer**

On the ghostly island they encounter Bartholomew Kuma and they learn that Kuma is actually one of Monkey D. Dragon’s friends and a revolutionary.

“Wait. I have a father?”

Nami swats Luffy on the head with her newest version of the clima-tact.

“Everybody has a father, captain moron.” Lucci replies neutrally while sipping on a cup of tea made by Sanji who is also cooking for everyone including the Lola Pirates and Kuma who is rather surprised at the size of the Straw Hat Crew. Last time he checked, they had seven official members. Conis plays waitress, her charm leaving the men of the other pirate crew asking themselves if they’ve arrived heaven. Brook’s music underlines their happy gathering.

Coby grows awfully silent. Zoro opens an eye from the nap he had been taking and looks at the uneasy pink haired boy. “Oi, what’s going on?”

“M...Monkey D. Dragon... Y-You’re not... naaaah, surely not. You don’t mean the most wanted man on Earth... not _that_ Monkey D. Dragon, do you?” Coby laughs haltingly.

“Exactly that one.”

“Most wanted? Luffy, why didn’t you tell us your father’s famous?” Chopper asks with big eyes.

Luffy sits next to Kuma and is eating the most disgustingly huge piece of meat Sanji could prepare for him. “Dn knth!” he munches between tearing into it.

They all turn to Lucci who translates sighing: “He says: I didn’t know that.”

“Kmhr tmeawee fofir tm!”

“He says: Kuma here told me for the first time.”

“Fhd knwthe wouve toyashwe.”

“He says: If I had known I would have told you as well.”

Gin frowns: “How can you translate that? It sounds like a bunch of eating sounds to me.”

Robin steadily provides him with a possible answer: “Maybe Magician-san was trained to understand words uttered by torture victims whose tongue they had neatly chopped off. While they were bleeding into their own throats and were chained to either a prison wall or an interrogation chair, they couldn’t have written anything down, now, could they?”

The cyborg next to her looks down onto his plate of perfectly fine food. He puts it down. “Okay, that made me SUPERRR sick.”

Coby vomits, Gin looks a bit green, Luffy laughs around his meat and Ace, once again, fell asleep before they even began the conversation. Zoro turns to the former CP9 agent and inquires: “What’s the actual reason?”

Another sip of tea. “We didn’t cut off tongues.” And for a second nearly everyone breathes in relief before: “We cut directly into the throat and sometimes blasted a lung. It’s really messy and to understand anything at all requires year-long training.”

Even Robin’s put off after that.

“Well, my time has come. I will see you in the near future, probably on the Sabaody Archipelago. I bid my farewell.”

“Bye weird bear-guy!” Luffy winks with both arms at the clearly uncomfortable Kuma.

Kuma is right. The see him on the Archipelago. Only problem: They see him three times. Also, some weird coincidence has it that at the same time another Supernova crew, the Kidd Pirates, lands there at the same time as the Straw Hats. They meet on Grove 21 where half of the Kidd Pirates lay dead around. Their corpses are burnt black. Conis breaks out crying and clings to Nami who clings to Ace.

One look at the heavily wounded two only surviving members of the other crew is enough for Luffy’s Conqueror Haki filled voice to give captain’s orders.   
“Chopper, treat their wounds. Conis, Suu, help him. Gin, Coby, Nami – I need you to be strong and dig a hole for each one of them. Zoro, Sanji – make them food. I don’t want ANY bullshit between you two for once. Ace, Lucci, we give them hell.” he points at the Pacifistas. “Usopp, see if someone comes and alarm us if it happens. Robin will look around with her eyes as well. Brook, Franky, ask around and see if their ship’s alright! NOW!”

“AYE”

One could say whatever they wanted about Monkey D. Luffy but in this exact moment they all know what a born leader he is. If the situation had not been that grave, Ace would have gloated, yelling: “Hey, world, **_that’s_** _my_ brother!”  

Ace and Lucci position themselves to their captain’s left and right, equal determined expressions in their faces. After a second, Luffy commands them to attack. The former government agent decides to use more drastic measurements than a finger pistol because of Kuma’s size and the probability that those are the supposed new completely mechanical weapons everyone in the CPs have heard about. So he shifts his body to his zoan form and coats his right claws in obsidian as he slits the giant’s body wide open.

Luffy on the other hand uses his new gear third technique to make a giant first and let it blacken with the Armament Haki as well.

Fire-Fist Ace lets his flames and haki roam free. He has no mercy, not for some robot clearly imitating a friend.

Their fight is fast but Luffy’s body has yet to be used to the third gear. He shrinks to the size of a toddler and doesn’t mind the protection from his brother and Lucci. Luckily, Usopp and Robin don’t see other ones coming ahead.

The operation is quick, the outcome seems successful as they save the lives of the apparent other captain and man with white and blue mask. Happy news aside, the loss of those four other pirate’s crewmates hangs deeply over the heads of at least half of the Straw Hats. Those who aren’t as affected by it, though, do show their respects and are silent as well.

When Eustass Kidd wakes up, he is on another ship. He almost mistakes it for his own because the infirmary is a lot like the one on his. At first, he doesn’t notice it but as he tries to heave himself up, his left hand can’t grasp anything. In a flutter of panic his breathing quickens but that only leads to him coughing five minutes straight.

The door opens – is that a raccoon? – yes, a raccoon in a doctor’s coat comes in and asks him if he’s fine, gives him a glass of water and wants to know if he remembers what happened.

Kidd does. He wants to forget it but he can’t. Heat and Wire, Marlo and Esra dying right in front of his eyes. It’s enough to make him throw up everything he’s ever eaten in his life and more.

Chopper, the little reindeer doctor (apparently not a raccoon) explains the situation with more professionalism than Kidd had expected. “Is Killer alright?” his abused throat hurts when he speaks but he can’t just not ask about his first mate.

The doc replies: “Yes, he has been up a little longer. He is currently eating in the kitchen.”

“He’s fit enough for that?”

“As it has been five days since the incident, he has recovered quite well.”

“Five days, huh?” Kidds voice sounds empty. And he is empty. They were his family, after all. They had known they weren’t up to the level of the New World. But Kidd had pushed them until Heat and Wire agreed. The others were strictly against it. Killer had warned him. His stupidity and aggressive nature had done it yet again. This time... there was no second chance. Damn it... they hadn’t even reached the first island of the New World.

How could he look at his first mate again without feeling guilty? Would Killer want Kidd to look at him again? He hates the feeling of nearly crying but somehow holding it back. If he could, he would bail his fucking eyes out. His hand still doesn’t respond because there is no goddamn hand that could respond in the first place.

The other hand pulls harshly at his deflated hair. How could he have been so fucking stupid? Fucking hell, fuck, shit, damn, argh! He hits the wooden wall to his right but it doesn’t calm him down. It shows him how weak he is. Not even wood dents under his hits. What did he think when they fought those monsters? “Oh yeah, I’m shit, let’s beat up some huge guys shooting lasers.”?

A hand stops Kidd’s from the repeated motion. When had he begun bleeding? Kidd looks up to the owner of the hand. Without mask he looks rather different. But he, of course, immediately recognises him. “Killer” he whispers so pain-filled he chokes on the word.

“Eustass” His first mate using his given name rather than his last name clenches his heart. They only do that when they are completely alone. Familiarity, someone to hold onto.

Killer’s strong arms draw him into a loving hug. As if to say: “It’s not your fault.” and that’s all Eustass Kidd needs before he lets himself cry, reciprocating the hug much more fierce than his childhood friend. “I fucked up, Kil, I fucked up so bad. I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry...” he mumbles while tears get Killer’s nice t-shirt (probably borrowed from another Straw Hat) wet and messy. He can’t stop, god is this shameful. Reputation and piracy crimes don’t matter at all. Kidd’s the one everybody would describe as badass but in this moment that’s nonsense. There is no pride. There is grief and hatred directed at himself and at those robots.

“I’m fucking tired and you’re a mess. Come on; move so we fit both without me hanging half off the bed.” Killer’s voice is raspy. Kidd does as he is requested but still doesn’t let go of his friend. Killer’s larger frame swallows him. That’s okay. Maybe he needs that. He doesn’t fucking know anymore.

The next morning, they learn that their ship’s gone. Killer had told Brook and Franky where to search since they hadn’t had success in doing so. The ship’s gone, most of the crew’s gone and Kidd wants to hide under the bed and never come out.

A general air of loss sets over the Sunny. Kidd and Killer had used to mock the Straw Hats captain’s face while saying stuff like: “Oi, he looks like a freaking child. Maybe they wrote a billion instead of a hundred.” But the usual grin is gone, replaced by actual thoughtfulness. They have yet to speak to each other. The remnants of the Kidd Pirates had been left alone for a week and a half. Killer is thankful for that. They all seem to be good guys.

When they finally speak to each other, captain to ex-captain and ex-first mate, it’s not as awkward as Kidd has made it out to be.

“I’m not here to tell you to join my crew. I’m not even asking you because it’s awful what happened to you and I don’t pity you but... it’s rude, yeah, really rude if I asked. Even though you look cool and all, don’t get me wrong. Oiiii, Sanji, I want some meat! Where were we? Ah, yeah! The crew and I talked and we all say that we can’t just let you off here on Sabaody. So...” Luffy tilts his head, having forgotten what he was about to say.

“Ah, exactly! So, do you want to stay at least until the end of our vacation we decided to have before going into the New World? When it’s over you can chose if you wanna join the crew or have a boat made by our shipwright. We’d be in one of the Blues so it’s safe as well. What do you say?”

Killer speaks: “I guess that would be the best. Are you okay with it cap- Kidd?”

Kidd flinches when he hears the beginning of “captain”. He holds himself together before stating he’s alright with it as well.

Only time will heal their wounds.

But for now, both are content to just float and getting coaxed into games and light conversation.

When the vacation of a month ends and they drift back to Sabaody, Kidd and Killer call the idiot with the straw hat and the bright smile “captain”. Kidd doesn’t flinch anymore. They fit right into the crew and Killer thinks: “I don’t know why but I have the feeling if Luffy wanted Whitebeard to be in his crew, he’d somehow drag the old man into it and Newgate would have the time of his life too.”

 

**Number Seventeen: Jinbe**

Sanji finds his paradise on Fishman Island. Mellorine – Oh, Mellorine! He’s just glad he’s used to the beauty of women or else he would have probably lost all his blood right there. The Mermaid Café is the place where he actually wants to die.

Brook thinks like Sanji in that aspect... but, oh, he can’t die because he’s already dead, Yohohoho! It’s a little bit sad for him as well because mermaids obviously don’t have panties. He can’t ask them if he could see them when they don’t exist.

Franky and Robin decide to stroll off on their own. That’s okay. Their crew is too much for them to casually have every member travel together. It would look like a school class having a walk.

So they build groups. Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Zoro, Chopper, Conis and Suu build Team “Shopping and Fun” while Coby, Ace, Sanji and Brook build Team “Mermaid Café, Mermaid Café and Food” (two times Mermaid Café because Sanji’s so hooked it’s not normal) with Ace wanting to try other specialties from the cafés kitchen. Oh, yeah, not to forget Team “We’re Too Old for This Shit... No, We Actually Aren’t but Alcohol Fucked us up Yesterday” with Gin, Kid, Killer and to everyone’s surprise Lucci who will just have a nice day at the beach without moving too much.

For the sake of not overcomplicating things, we will stick to Team “Shopping and Fun” because they actually have an eventful and not really funny afternoon of fighting brutal fishmen.

There suddenly is a king thanking them time and time again for saving some mermaid, a starfish and a pet shark. Team “Shopping and Fun” have absolutely no clue what’s going on. Well, what Coby hadn’t told them was that he, with his extreme agility and observation haki, had sensed those individuals were in danger and since he’s been training hard, he wanted to make his crew proud of him by helping them. So he fought a sea king underwater with only two knives – no biggie!

Then Sanji had called them to lunch and he had totally forgotten to tell a soul about this. And children, let that be a warning: Huge groups lead to huge misunderstandings.

It’s good that they all train nowadays. Conis has bought a bow and some arrows and has her aim trained hard thanks to Usopp. Suu just bites and barks. That’s alright as well.

So, Team “Shopping and Fun” is in the middle of a conspiracy and every fishman warrior of the Ryugu Palace is set on bringing them behind bars. Luffy gives Zoro and Chopper the lime light. After all, with a big crew not everyone could always get their turns in fights. After half an hour, the two of them look at each other, breathing heavily and fist-bump to their victory. Chopper’s karate skills are no joke at all and Zoro’s Shisui is finally satisfied.

“Shishishi, you guys are awesome!” Luffy exclaimed as he hugs his sweating nakama. Conis glances at her bow. Next time, she’d fight too! She had seen so much ever since she left Skypiea and studied the cultures, vegetation and people they came across closely. Sometimes, though, it felt as if she didn’t do much for her crew. Yes, she has a green thumb and they had never had to buy any vegetables and fruits again but that is a background activity. Conis then decides, standing ten thousand feet underwater, she would be helping Luffy and the others with all of her might.

A hand lands on her shoulder. It’s Nami. “Are you alright? You all of a sudden had this odd look in your face.” Conis giggles, Suu following her.

“Yes, Nami, all’s well. Come, next time, we will fight too!” Even though Nami isn’t much of a fighter she simply cannot resist Conis’ thirst for action. Luffy sees their short exchange and is once again truly proud of his nakama. They’re doing great.

The next chance for a fight is given after they hear that princess Shirahoshi has been kidnapped by some creepy dude called Vander Decken.

They all end up beating each other on a huge field with a monstrous ship trying to squash them all.

An invisible fishman is shot by an arrow straight into his eye... how does that even happen? Conis had targeted another one who was holding Nami as a hostage. But, oh well, her second arrow hits as well. Knees wobble at the adrenaline kick those two shots bring her.

Nami’s clima-tact lets thunder engulf a horde of fishmen. “Thunderstorm... TEMPO!” and they all buzz with unloaded electricity.

Luffy saves the day however. He stops the ship and he brings Shirahoshi back. Beating Hody Jones, the boss of the fishmen hating humans campaign, wears him out. He’s bloodied and a bruised. Apparently he loses so much blood Chopper even has to ask others for some of their own.

Nobody wants to, though. Nobody but a large blue fishman called Jinbe. He tells them stories of Whitebeard and his crew, stories of fishmen and humans fighting against each other. His vision is a peaceful world in which both races could finally live together.

Luffy asks: “Hey, Jinbe. You’re cool. Do you wanna join my crew?”

And Jinbe vows him he will.

 

**Number Eighteen: Katakuri**

He can sometimes look further into the future. One night, he sees himself on board of a huge ship. Thousand Sunny. There are eighteen other people besides him. He will be the nineteenth altogether.

Katakuri doesn’t get the name of the captain. But, he thinks as he sleeps, it must be someone huge who can easily tower him if that man’s going to lead him.

He’s wrong but for now he looks forward to beat this damn Straw Hat.

When he is recruited by said boy, Sengoku and Garp decide to just never make any exaggerations when talking about Garp’s grandson again. They leave it at that.

 

**Conclusion: Talk With Luffy and Ace**

It’s a year and a half later. They are twenty-seven crewmembers in total.

“Do you want to recruit any others? Cause if that keeps on happening Franky has to build those new quarters and all.” Ace asks one day when he sits in front of his brother. They’re both eating meat made by Sanji and their other cook. Luffy shrugs. “It’s your fault, Ace.”

A foot kicks the Straw Hat under the table. “OW! ACE! WHY?”

“For accusing me, idiot.”

Luffy pouts as he rubs his shin. “Ne, Ace, it’s true. If you hadn’t said yes I’d have stopped at ten but I thought to myself... “Hey, if you can get the most stubborn person in East Blue to agree, who else can you recruit as well?” Then it somehow became a challenge.”

“You want to tell me” Ace frowns, “you wouldn’t have more than half of the crew if I hadn’t agreed?! WHAT KIND OF LOGIC IS THAT, YOU MORON?!” 

In this moment, a blond haired man enters the captain’s quarters. His top hat sits perfectly and his voice is smooth: “My, my, are my brothers fighting again? What is it this time?”

“Saaaaaboooo” Luffy whines, “I just said Ace’s mystery spirit makes me do stuff...”

“Don’t even listen to him. He accuses me of making him recruit crewmembers.” Ace stretches out his tongue at his younger brother. Sabo watches the scene and chuckles quietly. He’s kind of glad, whether it truly is Ace’s doing or not, else he wouldn’t have met them again and regained his memory.

“Ah, right. I have a package for you” the blond suddenly states, indeed retrieving a package from his suit jacket. He gives it Luffy and abides his goodbye.

“What’s that?” the captain mumbles incoherently. He opens it. There is just a small den den mushi and a letter. He reads it, his face growing broader until his grin is fully developed.

Ace whines and yet again kicks his brother’s shin. This time, the armament haki shields before he can do any damage at all. “Now tell me what it is, man!”

“Hey, Ace, you should speak to Franky about the quarters... Whitebeard kind of wants us to lead his men when he dies.”

“WHAT?! HOW?! WHY?!”

Luffy just shrugs. “You should know why. You’re the reason why this happens, after all.”

Sometimes, Ace really wants to hit Luffy. Hard. Hard enough to leave a dent. But at the same time, when he looks at their crew he sees people who he never thought would fit together as perfectly as they do. Ace secretly is pretty proud of his future Pirate King brother.

 


End file.
